Crystal Palace Vs Wolves: Guessand’s 90th-minute strike wins scrappy match at Selhurst Park
In crystal palace vs wolves at Selhurst Park, substitute Evann Guessand turned in Tyrick Mitchell’s low cross in the 90th minute to give Crystal Palace a 1-0 win over 10-man Wolves and deliver Palace’s first home victory since early November.
Late goal decides a dour contest
Evann Guessand’s late touch proved decisive after a match that produced few clear chances. Palace did not make the breakthrough until the 90th minute when the Ivory Coast forward — on loan from Aston Villa in the winter transfer window — turned in Mitchell’s low cross for his first goal since arriving at the club. The winner eased fears of Palace being dragged into a relegation battle and quelled some of the discontent among fans at Selhurst Park.
Missed penalty, Henderson’s save and Wolves’ wasted openings
Bottom club Wolves squandered a gilt-edged chance in the first half when Tolu Arokodare had a tame penalty saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Palace’s only other notable first-half openings came from a Wolves error and a well-worked set-piece. Yerson Mosquera’s underhit backpass put Yeremy Pino through on goal; Pino lobbed keeper Jose Sa but the effort bounced well wide.
Ladislav Krejci sent off after second booking on 61 minutes
The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Ladislav Krejci, the Czech Republic centre-back, received his second booking and was sent off just after the hour mark — the second booking coming four minutes after the first. That dismissal handed the hosts the initiative, but Palace only managed to convert it with Guessand’s late intervention.
Strand Larsen’s return and Palace’s struggles
Three weeks after making a £48m move from Wolves, Jorgen Strand Larsen made his third league appearance for Palace against his former club. The 26-year-old Norway striker scored two goals in his first 180 minutes of league football for Palace — more than his one goal in 1, 405 minutes for Wolves this season — yet he was largely starved of service and had only one shot, a first-half effort that was blocked on the edge of the box.
Fan unrest and managerial future remain live issues
Palace have been on a poor run of form since manager Oliver Glasner announced last month that he will leave the club when his contract expires in the summer. Some fans called for him to leave immediately during Palace’s Europa Conference League draw at Zrinjski Mostar in midweek, and several supporters at Selhurst Park held banners complaining about both the club’s board and Glasner. Glasgow said after the match that he intends to stay.
The match finished 1-0 and offered Palace a welcome three points, their first home win since early November, though the performance did little to quiet wider concerns at the club. The next confirmed milestone is the expiration of Oliver Glasner’s contract in the summer; his return to team duties will continue to be watched closely as Palace move on from this narrow victory.
